Groupwise non-rigid image alignment is a difficult non-linear optimization problem involving many parameters and often large datasets. Previous methods have explored various metrics and optimization strategies. Good results have been previously achieved with simple metrics, requiring complex optimization, often with many unintuitive parameters that require careful tuning for each dataset. In this chapter, the problem is restructured to use a simpler, iterative optimization algorithm, with very few free parameters. The warps are refined using an iterative Levenberg-Marquardt minimization to the mean, based on updating the locations of a small number of points and incorporating a stiffness constraint. This optimization approach is eff

This paper demonstrates the construction designing analysis and control strategies for fully tracking concentrated solar thermal by using programmable logic control in the city of Erbil-Iraq. This work used the parabolic dish as a concentrated solar thermal. At the focal point, the collected form of energy is used for heating a (water) in the receiver, analyzing this prototype in real-time with two different shapes of the receiver and comparing the results. For tracking the parabolic dish, four light-dependent resistors are used to detect the sun's position in the sky so that the tracking system follows it to make the beam radiation perpendicular to the collector surface all of the time during the day for maximum solar p

The prepared nanostructure SiO2 thin films were densified by two techniques (conventional and Diode Pumped Solid State Laser (DPSS) (532 nm). X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) technique were used to analyze the samples. XRD results showed that the structure of SiO2 thin films was amorphous for both Oven and Laser densification. FESEM and AFM images revealed that the shape of nano silica is spherical and the particle size is in nano range. The small particle size of SiO2 thin film densified by DPSS Laser was (26 nm) , while the smallest particle size of SiO2 thin film densified by Oven was (111 nm).

An agricultural waste (walnut shell) was undertaken to remove Cu(II) from aqueous solutions in batch and continuous fluidized bed processes. Walnut shell was found to be effective in batch reaching 75.55% at 20 and 200 rpm, when pH of the solution adjusted to 7. The equilibrium was achieved after 6 h of contacting time. The maximum uptake was 11.94mg/g. The isotherm models indicated that the highest determination coefficient belongs to Langmuir model. Cu (II) uptake process in kinetic rate model followed the pseudo-second-order with determination coefficient of 0.9972. More than 95% of the Cu(II) were adsorbed on the walnut shells within 6 h at optimum agitation speed of 800 rpm. The main functional groups responsible for biosorption of

Wellbore instability and sand production onset modeling are very affected by Sonic Shear Wave Time (SSW). In any field, SSW is not available for all wells due to the high cost of measuring. Many authors developed empirical correlations using information from selected worldwide fields for SSW prediction. Recently, researchers have used different Artificial Intelligence methods for estimating SSW. Three existing empirical correlations of Carroll, Freund, and Brocher are used to estimate SSW in this paper, while a fourth new empirical correlation is established. For comparing with the empirical correlation results, another study's Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was used. The same data t

Membrane distillation (MD) is a hopeful desalination technique for brine (salty) water. In this research, Direct Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD) and  Air Gap Membrane Distillation (AGMD) will be used. The sample used is from Shat Al –Arab water (TDS=2430 mg/l). A polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) flat sheet membrane was used as a flat sheet form with a plate and frame cell. Several parameters were studied, such as; operation time, feed temperature, permeate temperature, feed flow rate. The results showed that with time, the flux decreases because of the accumulated fouling and scaling on the membrane surface. Feed temperature and feed flow rate had a positive effect on the permeate flux, while permeate temperatu

Ad-Hoc Networks are a generation of networks that are truly wireless, and can be easily constructed without any operator. There are protocols for management of these networks, in which the effectiveness and the important elements in these networks are the Quality of Service (QoS). In this work the evaluation of QoS performance of MANETs is done by comparing the results of using AODV, DSR, OLSR and TORA routing protocols using the Op-Net Modeler, then conduct an extensive set of performance experiments for these protocols with a wide variety of settings. The results show that the best protocol depends on QoS using two types of applications (+ve and –ve QoS in the FIS evaluation). QoS of the protocol varies from one prot

KE Sharquie, HM Al-Hamamy, AA Noaimi, IA Al-Shawi, Journal of the Saudi Society of Dermatology & Dermatologic Surgery, 2011 - Cited by 9

A genetic algorithm model coupled with artificial neural network model was developed to find the optimal values of upstream, downstream cutoff lengths, length of floor and length of downstream protection required for a hydraulic structure. These were obtained for a given maximum difference head, depth of impervious layer and degree of anisotropy. The objective function to be minimized was the cost function with relative cost coefficients for the different dimensions obtained. Constraints used were those that satisfy a factor of safety of 2 against uplift pressure failure and 3 against piping failure.
Different cases reaching 1200 were modeled and analyzed using geo-studio modeling, with different values of input variables. The soil wa

Manganese sulfate and Punica granatum plant extract were used to create MnO2 nanoparticles, which were then characterized using techniques like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The crystal's size was calculated to be 30.94nm by employing the Debye Scherrer equation in X-ray diffraction. MnO2 NPs were shown to be effective in adsorbing M(II) = Co, Ni, and Cu ions, proving that all three metal ions may be removed from water in one go. Ni(II) has a higher adsorption rate throughout the board. Co, Ni, and Cu ion removal efficiencies were 32.79%, 75